The Reze Arc Movie Leads the U.S. Cinema Earnings in Opening Weekend
Has Sony repeated their success? Following the success of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which earned in excess of $600 million worldwide, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the hundred-million-dollar mark worldwide, reaching a global total of over $108 million this weekend. This feature beat out the thriller Black Phone 2 ($12.9M) in its sophomore frame in movie houses, as well as the music documentary Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with Jeremy Allen White ($9M).
Notable Domestic and Worldwide Earnings
Directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara, the film is a immediate sequel of the initial season of Chainsaw Man. It earned $18.2 million domestically after a robust $5.2 million Saturday box office and $4.5 million Sunday take. Internationally, the MAPPA-produced film added nearly $15 million across 46 Sony markets, pushing its worldwide total to over $60 million under Sony ($43.1 million international, $18.2 million stateside). The studio has not yet revealed its final earnings figure.
Comparisons to Previous Blockbuster Anime Movies
Specialist agency an industry expert had earlier commented, drawing parallels between the feature's anticipated earnings to the popular film Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which grossed $34M in the U.S. and Canada in 2022 and started with a nearly identical $18 million stateside. The new film's first weekend aligns with that benchmark, while its $108M international sum is now positioned just behind the earlier film's $166.6 million overall box office. While it is improbable this Chainsaw Man film will achieve the earnings seen by blockbuster the enormous hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a huge win for the studio.
Promotional Efforts Boost Success
Along with its affiliate the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have skillfully used community involvement to boost their leadership at the cinema for anime films. This film's promotional efforts began at the Anime Expo in LA in the month of July with a MAPPA presentation, exclusive activations, and Pochita-themed pictures, followed by a notable appearance at New York Comic Con including exclusive clips, lotteries for fans, and additional MAPPA panels. There was even an special preview for fans for general audiences and content creators as well after the concluding day of the event.
Looking Ahead
2025 is a major time for Japanese animation, and for Sony, which has an additional animated movie releasing in 2025 in the upcoming Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.
